President John F. Kennedy’s favorite New England Fish Chowder recipe, archived by the JFK Library, is a classic and simple preparation that uses haddock as the main ingredient.
In March 1961, a young girl named Lynn Jennings wrote to Kennedy asking what he liked to eat. “Please reply to her,” Kennedy’s secretary advised in a handwritten memo. “She will be extremely happy. Do not mention anything in the letter about her handicap, please!” Kennedy passed along the recipe for New England Fish Chowder, one of his favorite dishes. See a copy of the letter in this video
More about the Kennedy White House diet
JFK’s New England Fish Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs haddock
2 oz diced salt pork
2 onions, sliced
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 quart milk (some variations use evaporated milk for added creaminess)
2 tbsp butter
Directions
- Simmer the haddock: Place the haddock in a soup pot with 2 cups of water and simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain the fish, making sure to reserve the fish broth. Remove any bones from the fish and set the fish aside, flaked into pieces.
- Cook the salt pork: In the same soup pot, sauté the diced salt pork until it is golden brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the crisp pork pieces and set them aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the sliced onions to the pork fat in the pot and cook until they are golden brown.
- Combine and simmer: Add the flaked fish, potatoes, celery, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot. Pour in the reserved fish broth, adding enough boiling water if necessary to make 3 cups of liquid. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Finish the chowder: Add the milk and butter, and simmer for another 5 minutes over very low heat. Do not boil after adding the milk.
- Serve: Remove the bay leaf before serving. Ladle the chowder into warm bowls and sprinkle the reserved crisp salt pork pieces on top.
The chowder is typically served with oyster crackers or warm corn muffins.
Check out our “Eat Like a President” cooking series:
Jackie Kennedy’s Family Brownies
The Kennedy White House’s Famous Cream Cheese and Strawberry Delight
President John F. Kennedy’s Favorite New England Fish Chowder